I got some sad news yesterday from my pal KT, who's caring for the kittens until they're ready for adoption.
Seems she's been reading a lot of kitten sites that say kittens are much better off if they stay with their mamas until they are 12 weeks old. Mama's milk contains valuable nutrients that help kittens stay healthy. Also, by staying with their little siblings a little longer, babies learn not to bite and how to play nice, lest they be avoided by the litter.
Baby Jake was born on December 10, making him just shy of 8 weeks old. I have reluctantly agreed to let KT keep him until he's either 12 weeks old or his mama stops nursing him, whichever comes first.
Either those websites are correct, or KT is a relentless kitten whore who created fake web sites so she could keep the babies a little longer and hog all that fuzzy adorability for a few more weeks.
Regardless, I can't help but feel little Jake will benefit from a few more weeks of his mama's milk and socialization with his sisters.
:(
8 comments:
I've always heard that you COULD go as early as eight weeks, but waiting until Mama stops feeding them (i.e. they are truly weaned) is really best, and tends to prevent Krazy Kitteh Syndrome (like litterbox rebellion, overeating, crazy behaviors, etc.).
But I am sad for you, having to wait a little longer for sweet Baby Jake. Hang in there.
I suspect my 3-year-old kitty Nick may have been turned loose from his Mama too early. When he was a baby he was a fucking little maniac. He was sweet, but he did not mind me, sassed me* when I scolded him and got into everything that wasn't sealed by padlock.
Even now, he has selective deafness when I tell him no. But he's so damn cute it's hard to stay upset with his crazy little butt.
*His meow sounds like Edward G. Robinson in a gangster movie, even as an infant
If I were Solomon, I'd give you the whole baby. The waiting will be tough, but maybe more pictures for us in the meantime?
Definitely there'll be more pictures. Now that he's skittering around better, maybe I can take more action shots.
He should be very entertaining by now.
Don't you just love that kitten stage where their little tails are all shaky and they are still learning to walk? I love kittens!
That's interesting. I've had kittens who kept me from sleep for weeks at a time. Now it looks as if they must have left the litter too soon.
KT tells me the babies are fighting now, with pile drivers, headlocks, flying body blocks, biting and then LOUD crying.
Baby Jake isn't much of a fighter, thank God, but his sister Brown Stripey Bitch certainly is.
He ended up hiding behind KT's kitten-hogging knees to avoid his mean sisters, even though he's a lot bigger than them.
I rescue feral kittens..so I am not a good judge of how long they should stay with mama..but I will say this..
Mama will nurse them for-fucking-evah! My last litter I took in, I also brought mama kitty in too..and she finally had to be tossed outside to get them to quit nursing.
It can't hurt to leave him with his litter and mama longer however. We just want more pics..he is so gorgeous. ;)
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